Medicines for Humanity (MFH), recently honored Sr. Jeanne Martha Pantal, PSST, with its 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award. The presentation was made during the annual MFH Humanitarian Awards Dinner held at the Harvard Club in Boston.

Sr. Martha is a sister of the Little Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (PSST). She is a native Haitian and currently is the Director of the PSST clinic in Rivière Froide, Haiti. In 2014, Medicines for Humanity began partnering with Sr. Martha and the Little Sisters to develop a project to teach Catholic Sisters the critical life-saving skills for lowering the number of deaths of children and pregnant women across Haiti. Under Sr. Martha’s project leadership, Sisters from 11 different communities are being trained and are together transforming the way maternal/child health services are being delivered. Most of all, lives are being saved and mortality rates in those communities are being lowered.

When presenting the award, MFH board member, Thomas M. O’Neill stated, “For your leadership improving maternal and child health services in Haiti…You felt the call to help Haiti’s most vulnerable. You’ve seen countless children die needless deaths and dreamed of a day this would change. You led the project to help the Little Sisters improve their system of maternal and child healthcare. You also inspired and motivated other communities of sisters to reach their potential. Ten additional congregations of sisters are now following your example and improving systems of primary healthcare across Haiti. You have shown all of us that one sister… one person… can become a powerful catalyst for lasting change”

Medicines for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that works in collaboration with in-country healthcare partners, typically communities of women religious (CWRs) and dioceses, to reach and provide critically needed healthcare services to as many children as possible. These health services are targeted to prevent or treat the major causes of child mortality. This year, it is estimated that more than one million of these healthcare services and treatments will be provided through MFH projects to children under 5 years old (the most vulnerable age group) and their caregivers.